1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a back tension device for winches.
2. Description of the Related Art
Winches using flexible steel wire rope are used extensively throughout many different industries. Such winches comprise a drum capable of rotation in order to wind cable on to a drum (hauling) or to pay cable off the drum (veering). It is important to store the cable neatly on the drum in order to make use of the storage capacity of the drum and also to prevent excessive flange loads; if cable is incorrectly and slackly wound on to the drum and a heavy load is experienced by the cable, it is possible to "out through" the loosely-spooled coils or cable and as a result, the cable can get locked into these coils. This causes damage to the rope and in certain cases, the rope may have to be cut off the drum and discarded.